Helpful ReplyStudio Monitors

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The Twangler
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2017/11/02 19:57:37 (permalink)

Studio Monitors

Anybody have any good updates on powered monitor speakers? I am looking. 
Thanks
#1
bapu
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:00:26 (permalink)
What is your budget?
#2
Bristol_Jonesey
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:02:15 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Cactus Music 2017/11/02 20:05:00
I expect this will get moved to the Hardware forum.
 
However, no recommendation can really be made without an idea of your budget.
And what is the rest of your system like?
 
You wouldn't expect to run a commercial studio with an SSL desk on a pair of Rokit 5's for example.

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#3
Audioicon
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:05:44 (permalink)
Bristol_Jonesey
I expect this will get moved to the Hardware forum.
 
However, no recommendation can really be made without an idea of your budget.
And what is the rest of your system like?
 
You wouldn't expect to run a commercial studio with an SSL desk on a pair of Rokit 5's for example.




Why not? LOL!
Try Behringer Truth, because it's the Truth. 

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#4
bz2838
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:12:17 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby chuckebaby 2017/11/02 20:53:09
I have JBL LSR 305s.  I have been using these monitors for several years, and my mixes sound consistent on everything I've tried them on, I would recommend them. 

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#5
AT
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:12:47 (permalink)
You don't mention any price, but I'll assume it ain't Barefoot territory.  If I had to replace my home monitors today it would be the Yamaha MSP 7s.  $6-700.  But then I'm using Yamaha now - I like 'em and haven't updated them since 1979.  So I'm partial.  The MSP series is much better for monitors than the HS, from what little I can tell.  
 
Anything cheaper than that is compromise land.  Bigger woofers (7-8 inch) for bass usually means cheaper material/components, while the smaller near-monitors rarely have enough bass.  So buyer beware, tho you can usually adapt your ears to most speaker systems so that your work translates.
 
But if you have $10K, then the Barefoots. 

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#6
bapu
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:23:21 (permalink)
When (or rather if) I ever get to build that detached studio on our property I'll replace my Mackie monitors with some Adam monitors to go with my Adam sub.
#7
emwhy
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:27:51 (permalink)
I have JBL LSR 305s.  I have been using these monitors for several years, and my mixes sound consistent on everything I've tried them on, I would recommend them. 
 
I have them too. For the price, which just came down, you can't beat them. I do recommend a sub woofer with them as they have small drivers. Here's a good shoot-out:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oFwIyxSKjY
 
 
#8
Marshall
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:28:09 (permalink)
If you have a small studio like me, then these are amazing. The big advantage is that you can listen nice and close without compromise...but as others say, it depends on budget. And room size. And I have to say, the biggest single thing that has improved my mixes was spending about 6 times what these speakers cost of good acoustic treatment. 
 
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmm/
#9
chuckebaby
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 20:51:12 (permalink)
bz2838
I have JBL LSR 305s.  I have been using these monitors for several years, and my mixes sound consistent on everything I've tried them on, I would recommend them. 

 
+1
JBL LRS305 are about 100 bucks a piece. They are pretty decent speakers for those on a 5inch speaker budget.
So are the KRK Rokits in the same price range.

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#10
Bristol_Jonesey
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 21:13:46 (permalink)
Marshall
If you have a small studio like me, then these are amazing. The big advantage is that you can listen nice and close without compromise...but as others say, it depends on budget. And room size. And I have to say, the biggest single thing that has improved my mixes was spending about 6 times what these speakers cost of good acoustic treatment. 
 
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmm/


Excellent advice.

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#11
thornton
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 21:43:39 (permalink)
If u have sub Adam f5: are great
#12
Zargg
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 21:54:24 (permalink)
Hi. As others have mentioned, it comes down to budget first and foremost. 
It (IMO) also comes down to treatment and where in the room they will be.
If close to a wall, perhaps not go for back ported design.
The size of the room will also have a saying.
Bigger isn't always better 
All the best.

Ken Nilsen
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#13
BenMMusTech
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 21:55:08 (permalink)
This is going to go down like a Led Zeppelin, but unless you're in a million dollar studio, which has been treated...you're wasting your cash on speakers. I mixed this Listen to Sonata No.7 Organik Mirrorball Blues by A Techno-Romantic #np on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/aa...ganik-mirrorball-blues with nothing more than AKG 712s, ok so admittedly the second best headphones in the AKG range, but still headphones. And they only cost 500 bucks Oz. I do have a set of passive Tannoys, but there not even set-up at the moment...I tend to test mixes outside of my headphones using my Bluetooth Harmon Kardon speaker, again...a very good speaker. I also use my laptop speakers, and my phone speakers...this gives me a good idea of what a mix will sound like on a cheap DA converter...something that is very important, and probably not very well understood.

Ben

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#14
batsbrew
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 22:22:14 (permalink)
without a budget,
you are all barking up trees.
 
wait for the OP to update

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#15
BobF
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/02 22:30:58 (permalink)
Yes, the wrong tree is prolly getting the noise
 


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#16
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/03 13:17:24 (permalink)
BenMMusTech
...unless you're in a million dollar studio, which has been treated...you're wasting your cash on speakers. 



So very true. Of course, that's assuming the OP already has some speakers and just wants to step up a notch. But maybe he's been mixing on headphones due to a lack of proper monitors. If that's the case, then a pair of Behringer Truths would be a significant improvement, acoustic treatments or not. Otherwise, you're right: high-end monitors and subs would indeed be a waste of money.


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#17
RobWS
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/03 14:20:35 (permalink)
In the fall of 2016 I was searching everything under $600/pair.  I ended up with JBL LSR308 and then left a detailed review on the Sweetwater site called "A Whole New World".  If I had 10 times that much to spend then definitely Focal monitors.
#18
Starise
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/03 15:13:47 (permalink)
JBL LSR305's here. Love em'. If I had a larger space I would opt for the LSR308's. If a tornado comes and takes my house I won't cry if they get destroyed. At that price just go buy another pair.

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#19
jpetersen
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/04 19:50:35 (permalink)
The Adam 2-way monitors are scooped. Those folded tweeters start too high and require
a crossover frequency of 3kHz, meaning the bass units have to try cover the gap in the middle.
Scooped sounds great at first but eventually you notice you cannot hear detail.
 
Also, the amps push the small drivers lower than their natural resonance point
but they run out of steam with even moderate low sines (TR-808).
 
And finally, if the boxes are on all day (mine idle mostly) the plastic covering at the back edges peels.
 
I got a pair based on reputation. With time their limitations became clear.
I now just use them occasionally to hear what my material would sound like through bookshelf loudspeakers.
 
#20
whodatboi
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/14 22:35:28 (permalink)
I'm a huge fan of the Adam Audio A7's for near field work in smaller to medium rooms.  I think the models are now A7X, with some improvements.  You can pair them up with an Adam Sub-8 or Sub-10 and really never need another monitoring system ever.
 
With that said, I bought my brother some cheaper Yamaha HS5's and listened to some HS8's while I was at it.  I'm pleasantly surprised by those if you want to spend a little less cash.  
 
I just don't recommend dipping below 5 inch woofers, and I really wouldn't tell you to go lower than 7 or 8 inches without a subwoofer, and I'd tell you to have a subwoofer regardless!
#21
SuperG
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/16 04:59:16 (permalink)
If you don't mind getting used units, you can get a lot more bang for your buck. An extreme example is the pair of M-audio BX-8s I got from a guy on craiglist, mint, with floor stands. The guy had tried using them for live performance, and I think he realized his mistake. $100 cash. It was my lucky day.

laudem Deo
#22
Jim Roseberry
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/16 10:30:27 (permalink)
Checkout the Yamaha HS7s.
My friend/client Fred Coury has both a commercial and home studio.
He got a pair of HS7s for his home studio (thinking they'd just be a modern substitute for NS10s)... and wound up liking them better than the $20,000 monitors in his commercial studio.
If you watch The Night Shift, you've heard mixes done on the HS7s.  
 

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#23
batsbrew
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/16 15:34:55 (permalink)
Starise
JBL LSR305's here. Love em'. If I had a larger space I would opt for the LSR308's. If a tornado comes and takes my house I won't cry if they get destroyed. At that price just go buy another pair.

 
 
ah.....
 
the tornado effect.
 
 
 
 

 

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#24
LLyons
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Re: Studio Monitors 2017/11/16 20:08:17 (permalink)
I think there's a lot of great advice here.  Before spending much - what are you expecting in terms of quality? Here's where I am coming from:
 
I started with a passive set of Tannoy Reveals and an Alesis RA 100 reference amp (1000 US total).  It worked for me for 12 years.  10 x 10 foot room - NOT TREATED.  I sucked at mix until I used a reference CD throughout mixdow - my choice was Michael Jacksons #1's.  I eventually added a KRK10Sub 4 years ago because bass had always been my biggest issue.  I thought that might help - but not much.  I eventually studied and found out why.   15 years and still referenced that CD.  I went to LSR2438's - improved, but I still used that reference CD..  Treatment was brought up - that really helped.  It can be expensive - but you can build traps and diffusers and bring the price down substantially. I still used that reference CD.  I just went through and reset up the area, following a few positioning rules - and that helped a bit.  I also analyzed the room with free spectrum and waveform tools I found on the net. I setup the output to be no greater than 85db and that helped even more.  I tested it all with that CD... I do have a nice area now.. Listening to that CD...  
 
The reason for all of that - I was chasing 'quality' and my simple position is this.  Use your ears.  I would take a CD you like to reference and judge your work against, to a music equipment store. They all have a set of test speakers to listen to. Sit or stand in the same position relative to the speakers - about 3 to 4 feet away, with the tweeters at ear level.  listen at a modest to low level.  Listen to a top of the line pair then AB to what you can afford.   KNOW that they will not sound the same in your workroom environment.  From day one you have them home,  use that reference CD..  You will keep the price low and the quality up until you think you can do better by throwing more money at it..
 
FWIW - I get very close to the same results if I use the old speaker setup or the new one. Using that MJ reference CD. The best 10 dollar 'speaker' investment I ever made.   :o)        

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